Читать книгу The CEO's Secret Baby - Karen Whiddon - Страница 10

Still holding their son close to her chest, Lucy watched out the front window as Tucker strode up the sidewalk. She watched as he faltered and nearly stumbled, and ached to go to him, to help him. Her chest felt tight, the back of her throat clogged with emotion. She couldn’t cry, wouldn’t cry, at least not now, not in front of Sean.

“Are you all right?” Sean asked softly from behind her. Ah, she couldn’t hide anything from him, he understood her so well. Not surprisingly, since he’d known her as long as Tucker.

She drew a shaky breath, centering herself before answering. “I think so. This has all been such a shock, you know?”

“I know.” Putting his arms around her, he turned her, baby and all, and held her. He smelled faintly of expensive cologne and his button-down shirt felt stiff with starch. He always looked perfectly put together, his sandy-blond hair styled and his khakis pressed. He was Tucker’s polar opposite.

Horrified at herself, she pushed the thought away. Sean was, she reminded herself, her rock. Not once through her ordeal had his devotion faltered. He’d been there for her, asking nothing, while she’d mourned Tucker during her pregnancy. He’d held her hand through the Lamaze classes, and attended Eli’s birth as her coach. He’d asked nothing from her until after the baby had been born, and then he’d only asked if they could become a permanent family.

When she’d turned him down, she couldn’t help but realize the irony. Once, she’d asked the same thing of Tucker, who had turned her away as well.

Sean was cookouts and cocktail parties, while Tucker was camping and football games. Of course they were different. If Tucker had been the sun blazing in the summer sky, Sean was the moon—peaceful, gentle and always there, no matter the season.

Though seeing Tucker again had stirred up old emotions, she couldn’t hurt Sean, wouldn’t hurt him, not to go chasing after a fly-by-night wisp of a dream.

Still, she couldn’t help herself from glancing out the window over Sean’s shoulder. Outside, though the occasional car drove past, she saw no one on foot. Once again, Tucker had breezed into her life like a hurricane, and barely an hour after his arrival, he was off and running.

Worse, she could sense he hadn’t told them everything. She knew him just that well.

“Tucker seems…different,” Sean said, almost as if he’d read her mind. “He’s hiding something,” he continued, reminding her that he knew Tucker as well as she did. They’d all grown up together, the three best friends their mothers had jokingly called the Stooges. Back in the day, they’d been inseparable.

“He didn’t steal the money.” She felt the need to defend him, even though Sean probably knew this as well. “Tucker’s not the kind of man to steal.”

Sean smoothed back her hair. “Who knows what he is these days. A year as a captive would change anyone. And ten million dollars is a lot of temptation.”

She shuddered, glad Sean held her so close that he couldn’t see her face. “Please. Don’t say that. You know him as well as I do. After all he’s been through…”

Sean didn’t answer, just tightened his arms around her and Eli, holding them close. Like a family.

Then to her horror, her eyes filled. She felt the first tear stream down her cheek and swiped her hand at it. Pushing out of Sean’s embrace, she placed Eli, now quiet, in his playpen; she sniffled, trying to regain control of her emotions.

“Lucy? Look at me, please?” Sean’s voice, oddly gentle, compelled her to raise her head. But then, as if she couldn’t help herself, her gaze slid past him and to the window once again, searching for a lean, broad-shouldered man who should be returning home and wasn’t.

That did it. She gasped, powerless to stop it as her eyes filled and the floodgates opened.

Sean pulled her close again and held her while she wept, bless him. Then, when she tried to step away to tidy up, he went and got the box of tissues and instead of handing it to her, carefully and gently wiped her eyes and face as if she was a small child.

“Better now?” he asked.

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Again, she used Eli as an excuse, crossing to the playpen. His bright blue eyes were open, so she turned on the musical duck mobile and placed several brightly colored toys in the baby’s line of vision.

“There,” she said, once she’d finished. “That should keep him occupied for a little while.” Somehow she took a step, and then another, amazed that her shaky legs still supported her. Once she’d reached the couch, she let herself drop into the soft cushions.

“This just doesn’t seem real,” she said. “I can’t believe Tucker’s alive.”

A shadow crossed Sean’s handsome face. “Do you still love him?” he asked bluntly. “Because I’m not willing to be second best now that he’s back. I have a right to know.”

Of course he did, but the fact that he asked her this right now felt as though he was blindsiding her.

“I…still have feelings for him,” she admitted. “But not romantic ones,” she hastened to add, as Sean’s face fell. “You know I still love him, Sean. Just as you do.”

“As a friend,” he said, his tone hard. “And somehow I don’t think that’s the same kind of love that you’re talking about. You and he have been together since middle school.”

Her gut clenched. “And now we’re not.”

“You have a child together.” Plainly, Sean wasn’t about to let this go. “That’s bound to bring you closer.”

His earnest brown eyes were guarded and full of hope and fear in equal measures. She felt a moment of pity, which she squashed, aware he wouldn’t welcome that.

She couldn’t blame Sean for feeling threatened. Their engagement was too new, too fragile. He knew how much she’d loved Tucker. The question of whether she loved him still, she couldn’t really answer. She’d barely gotten used to the idea of finding him alive.

“I can only tell you what I know. You have to understand that Tucker and I will always share Eli,” she answered softly. “But before he left for Mexico, Tucker made it plain he wasn’t ready to settle down.”

A muscle worked in Sean’s square jaw. “What if he is now?”

Smiling sadly at the question, she shook her head. “Think about what you just said. He reappears after a year, learns we believed him dead, and by way of explanation, he gives us this fantastic and almost unbelievable story. Still, I’m willing to accept that, because it’s Tucker.

“Then, just as we’re all starting to relax and make an attempt to get used to the idea, he tells us he has to go for a walk to clear his head and boom—he disappears. He wasn’t even here an hour. And he’s gone. Just like always. He hasn’t changed.” She hoped he couldn’t hear the bitter pain in her voice.

For a moment, that baby mobile was the only sound, as they stared at each other across the living room.

“I don’t know what else to tell you.” She spread her hands. “Right now, just like before, I’m back to taking it one day at a time. I suggest you save yourself a lot of worry and try to do the same.”

Sean didn’t appear too convinced. Still, he didn’t disagree with her statement, which was a sort of forward progress.

“I’m not going to lie to you, Sean. Tucker’s reappearance has hit me like a punch in the stomach. I’m not sure what to think or how to act….”

Suddenly, she jumped up, aware she had to keep moving or lose it again. “How about I make us a couple of sandwiches?” she asked brightly. “Just enough to tide us over until later?”

He nodded, apparently willing to let the topic go for now. “Do you still want to go to the fireworks display at Folsom Field?” he asked carefully.

Momentarily taken aback, she didn’t answer. On the one hand, any attempt at normalcy would be good. But on the other… Tucker was home. They should celebrate. Reacquaint themselves and get to know one another. Or something. But he wasn’t here, so she couldn’t exactly ask him what he wanted to do.

Frustrated, she tried to think. She should be happy, ecstatic even. She didn’t understand why she felt so much like crying. Worse, she hated that she felt she had to hide this riot of emotion from Sean.

“I don’t know,” she finally answered. “I guess we’d better wait and see if he even comes back.”

And as Sean nodded his head in agreement, she realized that they both had just acknowledged that there was a very real possibility Tucker would not.

Tucker found Connor O’Neill’s Irish Restaurant and Pub on 13th Street easily. The wooden floorboards creaked as he walked across them. Taking a seat at the corner of the curved mahogany bar so that he could keep his back to the wall and face the door, he ordered a wheat beer and drank it slowly, savoring the taste and enjoying the icy coolness of the frosted mug.

The restaurant was crowded with an early lunch crowd. Normally, he enjoyed people-watching, but his thoughts kept returning to Lucy. And Sean. Engaged. WTH?

Picturing them together made him feel sick. Still stunned from the revelation that he’d come home to learn he had nothing, he took another long drink of his beer, signaling the bartender for another. Lucy, the woman who’d always claimed he was The One, who’d claimed she’d love him forever, had moved on. Pretty damn quickly, as far as he was concerned.

Part of him couldn’t blame her. After all, she’d truly believed him to be dead. She had a baby to look after and, as she’d said, Sean clearly adored both her and Eli.

The other part of him couldn’t help but feel something was wrong. She and Sean? They’d been pals for years, for chrissake. Even if Sean had carried a torch for her, as far as Tucker’d been able to tell, they had zero chemistry between them.

So what gives?

The bartender brought his second beer just as he’d drained the first. Accepting it gratefully, he was about to take a drink when movement at the doorway caught his attention.

A man stepped into the bar, so tall he had to duck under the low doorway. Long-haired with an unkempt beard, he would have looked perfectly at home panhandling at the corner. When his clear gaze met Tucker’s, the sharp intelligence in his brown eyes contrasted with his appearance. This had to be his contact, the DEA agent he’d come to meet.

Sliding onto the bar stool next to Tucker, the man he knew on the phone only as Finn gave him a curt nod before ordering.

“How’d the homecoming go? It hasn’t even been an hour since my agents dropped you off and already you call wanting to meet. What happened?”

Tucker grimaced, not wanting to go into detail. “Things changed while I was gone. Enough said.”

Finn nodded. Waiting until the bartender brought the beer, collected Finn’s money, and moved off, Finn took a long drink before he replied. “Sorry to hear that. But I’m guessing that’s why you wanted to have a meeting.”

“Yep,” Tucker agreed. “I have a few questions first.”

Finn gave a barely perceptible nod. “Go ahead.”

“What’s your full name?”

“Finn Warshaw.” IF the DEA agent was surprised at the question, he didn’t show it. “What else?”

“Who has the missing ten million dollars?”

Narrowing his eyes, the other man studied him. “We don’t know,” he admitted. “But we are aware that the cartel thinks you might have a clue where it’s stashed.”

“Still?”

Finn nodded.

“I was afraid of that. Are they still searching for me?”

“Yes. At first, they thought you were killed in the shootout. Right now they have no idea where you are. But they will soon.”

Tucker clenched his jaw. “I can’t be captured again. I barely survived the last time. I’m telling you up front. I’ll shoot to kill before I let them take me. Understood?”

A barely imperceptible nod. “Understood.”

Taking a deep breath, Tucker leaned closer. “Then I’m in. Tell me what you want me to do.”

Finn took a long drink of his beer, then wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. “First thing we need to do is move you out of Boulder. We’ve got a place set up for you in Niwot.”

Stunned, Tucker shook his head. “I just got back. I’d prefer not to leave town.”

At his words, Finn’s pleasant expression vanished. “Do you have family here, friends, a girlfriend? Need I remind you how ruthless the cartel is? If they find out you have someone you care about, they won’t hesitate to use her against you. You don’t want to endanger anyone else now, do you?”

He was right, damn it. He just had to figure out a way to tell Lucy.

“You can always just vanish, if it’d be easier,” Finn said.

“Out of the question.” Tucker didn’t even have to think about that one. “I disappeared once and she thought I was dead. I won’t do that to her again. I owe her some sort of explanation.”

“Not a good idea. If you say anything, remember that you can’t come even remotely close to telling the truth. You can’t tell anyone about this operation, understand? If you do, not only do you risk blowing your own cover, but also the agents we have in place now. You could endanger their lives. Do you understand?”

Tucker nodded. Finishing his beer, he stood and pushed back his bar stool. “Give me a couple of hours. Where do you want to meet?”

“How about here? I’ll pick you up out front in two hours. Don’t be late.”

Inclining his head, Tucker headed out the door, hoping that during the walk home, he could come up with an explanation that made sense to Lucy. He didn’t want her to think he was abandoning her and his son for a second time. Unfortunately, no matter how he was able to spin it, he knew that was exactly what she’d think he was doing.

Unable to relax, Lucy took to pacing in front of the living room bay window. Obviously humoring her, Sean simply watched, playing with baby Eli.

The first hour seemed to crawl by. At the ninety minute mark, she’d begun to toy with the idea of going in search of him. “He can’t just reappear in our lives and then vanish,” she said. “Maybe we should go see if we can find him.”

Sean shrugged. “He’s a grown man. I’m thinking he can do pretty much whatever the hell he wants.”

Torn between wanting to agree and wanting to argue, she glanced once more out the window. Her heart leapt in her chest at the sight of Tucker striding down the street toward them.

“He’s coming back,” she cried, absurdly on the verge of tears once again.

Sean gave her a long look. “Would you like to run outside and greet him?” he asked, sounding annoyed.

She couldn’t really blame him. She supposed she’d feel the same, if the situation were reversed. “Of course not.” Managing a smile, hoping to ease the tension that had instantly returned, she crossed the room and hugged him. “Don’t worry so much,” she murmured.

“I’m not worried,” he denied instantly. But she could feel tension in the stiff way he held her and she knew he was lying. He must feel really threatened because in the entire time she’d known him, Sean had never lied to her. Not even once.

A moment later, Tucker knocked softly on the front door. Again, she couldn’t help but remember how, before he’d gone to Mexico, he would have walked right in. Of course, he’d lived with her then. Now, he couldn’t. He’d have to find someplace else to live. Maybe he could stay with Sean.

Tucker knocked again.

“Let him in,” Sean said, sounding resigned.

Giving him a quick kiss, Lucy crossed to the door and opened it, finding a desolate look on Tucker’s face.

“Are you all right?” she asked, letting her gaze roam over him, still amazed at how much it hurt to do so.

“I’m fine.” He smiled, a wan ghost of his former smile, though she thought she saw a trace of warmth lurking in it.

Her heart skipped a beat as his incredibly blue gaze met and held hers. Again, she had to fight the urge to go to him and wrap her arms around him and breathe in his familiar, masculine scent.

Damn.

Flustered, she looked away, only to find Sean glaring at her as though he knew what she’d been thinking. Maybe, she thought guiltily, her thoughts had shown on her face. Tucker had always said she was a horrible poker player.

Tucker, again Tucker. He was all she could think about. It had to be because his sudden and unexpected appearance had been like a return from the dead. A miracle. Once she got over the initial shock, she’d return to normal.

Another glance at Sean, who fairly radiated jealousy and hurt, mixed with anger, told her the sooner the better.

Watching the silent interplay between Lucy and Sean not only made him feel like an outsider, but the underlying emotions puzzled him. Lucy seemed defensive while Sean…acted almost jealous. Of course, he couldn’t blame the other man. If the situation had been reversed, he’d have felt threatened, too. Any man would.

Maybe he could ease the tension a bit.

“I’m going to have to leave in a few minutes,” he said. “I’m going to go find a place to stay.”

Both Lucy and Sean stared at him as if he’d lost his mind.

“Today?” Lucy asked. “It’s a holiday. Nothing’s open.”

“Plus there’s no need,” Sean put in. “You can stay with me.”

This, he hadn’t expected. Unless Sean figured he could keep an eye on him better that way.

“Sounds good,” he lied, knowing Sean would be easier to convince of his need to live away from Lucy than Lucy herself. Also, if it came down to it, he rather suspected Sean wouldn’t actually care if he disappeared for a while.

Lucy would be more difficult to fool. She’d expect him to want to spend time with Eli. Hell, he wanted to get to know his son. Just not yet. He couldn’t risk putting the baby in danger.

Once this thing was settled… He shut down the thought, unwilling to think beyond what he had to do. He felt like he had to keep his focus tight if he wanted a chance at succeeding.

Glancing at his watch, he realized he had approximately forty minutes before he had to meet Finn.

Both Sean and Lucy noticed the gesture.

“No hurry,” Lucy hastened to assure him, apparently mistaking the gesture for something else. “You just got here. Why don’t you sit and talk awhile? We’ve got a lot to catch up on.”

Right. Searching for a way to distract her, he spotted his flat-screen television still occupying center stage. Exactly where he’d put it after he’d purchased it.

“What about my stuff?” he asked Lucy. Before the trip to Mexico, he and Lucy had lived together. “My clothes, my books, do you still have any of it?”

“Of course I do,” she answered, instantly distracted and sounding eager. “I’ve boxed it up and put it in the basement. You’re totally welcome to sort through it and move what you want to Sean’s.”

“Sounds great. I won’t do it right now, but as soon as I can, all right?” Unfortunately, he knew he wouldn’t be able to go through his things anytime soon. Maybe after this DEA sting was all over. No, definitely after this was all over.

To his relief, she didn’t insist he follow her to the basement and begin searching through his stuff immediately.

“Sounds good,” Lucy said, shooting a questioning glance at Sean, who gave a slight nod.

Tucker had to clench his teeth to keep from commenting. Sean flashed him a quizzical look as though he sensed something.

Again he glanced at his watch. He had to get going.

“Listen, would you like to go to Folsom Field with us?” Lucy asked, clearly struggling to fill the awkward silence. “The fireworks display starts at dusk, like always.”

“It’ll be fun,” Sean put in, sounding anything but sincere.

“A great way to celebrate your return,” Lucy continued.

Staring at her, he knew he couldn’t. “I’m not sure taking an infant to a fireworks display would be wise,” he said. “You know the noise is bound to scare him. He’ll cry, and you’ll have to bring him home anyway.”

Lucy frowned. “We were going to watch from outside the stadium, where it’s not as loud.”

He pretended to consider the idea. “I think I’ll pass. You two have fun.”

As her frown deepened, he realized why. Before Mexico, July 4th had been his favorite holiday. He’d never missed a fireworks display or an excuse to celebrate.

“Things change,” he said softly. “You of all people should know that.”

She turned away, making him realize he’d once again hurt her, without intending to.

He pushed away the urge to comfort her. Once she thought about it, she’d realize he was right. All she had to do was look at the ring she wore on her third finger.

One final glance at his watch showed him he was running out of time.

“As a matter of fact,” he told Sean, keeping his expression pleasant. “I’ve intruded on you two enough for one day. You go on with your plans and I’ll catch up with you later.”

Lucy made a strangled sound, but didn’t turn around.

“Sounds good.” Sean nodded, looking relieved. “Do you have a cell phone?”

“Not yet.” Grateful that he’d been given an out, Tucker smiled. “As a matter of fact, that’s one of the things I intend to rectify. McGuckin’s Hardware is open. I think I’ll head over there and pick out a new phone.”

Still, Lucy wouldn’t look at him.

“Let me write our numbers down,” Sean continued. “That way, once you get your phone, you can call us and give us yours.”

Pocketing the slip of paper, Tucker again glanced at Lucy before heading toward the front door. “Catch you later,” he said to her back. She didn’t respond.

Closing the door behind him, he made his escape.

The walk back to Thirteenth Street took about fifteen minutes. He arrived to find the DEA man was already there.

Driving a nondescript, navy sedan that screamed “government issue,” Finn waited from a parking spot in front of the nail salon/spa next door to the pub.

Tucker climbed in the passenger side. Neither man spoke until they’d pulled out.

“We’re all set up,” Finn said. “My undercover guy is already spreading a rumor that you have the money and are ready to talk.”

“Ouch.” Tucker grimaced. “They’re going to want to capture me again.”

“We won’t let that happen.” Finn shot Tucker a glance. “If we can nab the guys at the top of this cartel, we can shut down a bunch of the border violence and stop truckloads of drugs coming into the U.S. through New Mexico and Texas.”